(NewsWorthy.news) – Dozens of United States Military personnel are withdrawing from Chad in another blow to the White House’s foreign policy in Africa.
The news comes after U.S. forces already began withdrawing from the neighboring country of Niger the week before. The U.S. received a letter from Chad’s government that threatened to end a vital security pact with the White House. U.S. officials were reportedly confused by the letter due to it not coming through official routes of diplomacy. Africa’s central Sahel region, which includes 13 countries in total, is known to be a hotbed for several leading Islamist terror organizations, including Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIS. The declining presence of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the unstable region highlights increasing security concerns.
In March 2024 Niger’s military junta ended its cooperation when it challenged U.S. activity in the country, saying that the presence of the U.S. Military in Niger was no longer justifiable. Spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane announced that the country’s military operations in Washington were suspended and that recent U.S. flights into Nigerien airspace were illegal. The military leaders already banned French airplanes from flying into Nigerien territory in September 2023. France has retained a greater military presence than the U.S. in the region. On April 25 a top U.S. military official said there had been no final decision on whether to withdraw soldiers from Chad and Niger. Since the receipt of the letter from Chad’s government, the U.S. has announced the withdrawal of 75 Army Special Forces members from N’Djamena, Chad’s capital.
The withdrawal of troops from Chad carries implications beyond the threat of Islamist groups in the region. Niger along with Burkina Faso and Mali are reportedly distancing themselves from Washington to form closer security connections and establish partnerships with Russia. The Kremlin is known for utilizing coercive tactics in the region to destabilize governments, and the U.S. warned the president of Chad in 2023 that he was being targeted in an assassination plot by Russian mercenaries. Chad’s government was also warned about Moscow-backed Chadian rebels operating to the south in the Central African Republic. Alongside these plans, the Kremlin was seeking support among those in Chad’s government, including the president’s half-brother and cabinet members.
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